The Sensational Character Find of 1940
by RobinRocks
Summary: In which America finds himself out-heroed by an eight year old boy because he doesn't have a cape. Hetalia/Detective Comics/Teen Titans crossover. Oneshot written for Robin's 70th birthday.


So this is the second fic I've posted within a week which comprises of the formula _Hetalia Axis Powers_ + country-specific fictional text = Odd, quasi-metafictional fanfic. I didn't really mean for them to be written/posted so close together, and okay, so there's something of a jump between Shakespeare and _Teen Titans_, but I had my reasons, and here is my reason for this fic:

Robin (as in "Batman and...") is **70 years old** this month. He first appeared in issue 38 of _Detective Comics_ in the April of 1940, billed as 'The Sensational Character Find of 1940', and continues to be an extremely well-recognised fictional character within the realms of American pop culture (and expanding beyond it). Hey, when you've got a band (Fall Out Boy) naming themselves after a character which spoofs you in _The Simpsons_, I think you're doing pretty well for yourself. XD

And, well, although I don't spazz out about _Teen Titans_ anymore (my first fandom for this site), even all these years later my pen-name is still RobinRocks and even at the golden age of seventy Robin _does_ still rock, so I figured I'd celebrate my namesake's "birthday".

Which brings us to this. I originally was just going to write a fic solely about Robin, but then I thought it might be interesting to fuse the idea with _Hetalia_ and have him meet with Alfred "The Hero" Jones for three (excellent, lolololol) reasons:

ONE: Robin emerged in 1940 – during the midst of the Second World War (although prior to the involvement of the United States).

TWO: Both _Teen Titans_ (the animated TV series) and _Hetalia Axis Powers_ (the original webcomic by Hidekaz Himaruya) made their debut in 2003.

THREE: _Teen Titans_ was my first active fandom on FFNet. _Hetalia_ is my current (most) active fandom on FFNet. I dunno, it's like linking history... or something. O.o

To clarify, the first part of this fic is not set in the _Teen Titans_ universe, but rather the original comic books of the 1940s. The latter half is specifically set in _Teen Titans_ and uses that version of Robin (still my favourite incarnation to date. Although Burt Ward was pretty awesome...).

The Sensational Character Find of 1940

**[1940]**

"Well, gee, mister, not that it's not nice to see regular folks like yourself risking their neck for their fellow man and everything, but..."

The kid pauses. He really _is_ a kid, maybe not much more than nine or ten, and looks like he wandered out of a circus (which would be an insensitive thing to say) in his red tunic and green shorts and pixie boots and bright yellow cape.

Oh, and the mask. Don't forget the mask.

"But?" America nudges, leaning forward on the park bench and resting his elbows on his knees. He's still holding his half-cool coffee in one hand – 'cup of Joe', they're calling it these days.

"But I just saved your life!" The kid breathes, sounding slightly incredulous. "That's why guys like us are around, you know?"

"Guys like us?"

The boy rolls his eyes behind his flimsy mask.

"_Heroes_?" He tilts his head and observes America for a bit. "Gee willikers, well, I guess you're not from around here, huh?"

"You mean Gotham City?" America looks pointedly at his coffee, humming to himself. "That's... one way of putting it."

"Well..." The boy leaps up, cape flying, and situates himself in front of America proudly. "Batman and I protect this city. It's not your fault you didn't know, but we fight the crime around here so guys like you don't have to." His eyes suddenly narrow suspiciously. "You're sure you've never heard of us?"

America considers this for a moment – or pretends to, at least, grinning inwardly. Of course he has. Of course he's heard of them, and, moreover, he knows exactly who this kid is. Robin the Boy Wonder. He's new on the block – or the printing press, to be more specific. Some gimmick they call a "sidekick" to give a little variety, something that the kids reading these ten cent comic books can relate to, to the _Batman_ stories currently running in National Allied Publications' _Detective Comics_ monthly. America wonders if he was named after the bird or the outlaw – and, more importantly, how long he will last. Could be scrapped within the year.

Still, the comics are flying off newsstands at the moment. _Detective Comics_ with Batman and Robin and _Action_ _Comics_ with Superman and that other one, that one that took _his_ name... _Captain America_, that's it. It's some new "American tradition", some trend that was found to make money back in the late twenties and all through the thirties, some marriage of old pulp-storytelling and this new form of cartoon that becomes a comic book.

If it's American, then America is a part of them – and these cities, though fictional, these Gothams and Metropolises, they are rooted in the real America, the geography of his land. He can break down the walls of fiction and enter these streets as a tourist, a stranger, who was really there all along.

(Still, maybe it's just a welcome distraction, for him and his people both. Everyone knows there's a war on in Europe. _Another_ one. Sometimes – feeling guilty about it regardless – America leaves his phone off the hook so that England can't call him to demand tanks and guns and that he get off his arse and _help_ if it's not too much bleeding trouble.)

"Huh, well, I guess it kind of rings a bell," he says easily, nonchalantly, and sips at his coffee.

_You ever heard of Bob Kane, kid?_

Robin folds his arms and sighs.

"Well, just so you know, Batman and I are here for a reason, so you really oughta be more careful. There's allsorts of creeps and crooks around, so you should leave the hero stuff to us."

It's a credit to his (questionable, England would say) maturity that America realises that it would be childish of him to get himself into an argument with an eight year old boy in a cape about which of them is more of a hero, so he refrains.

Plus, the kid _has_ one-upped him on the cape. America wonders if – _if_ – he does eventually get dragged into this war England and France started with Germany and Russia over Poland or whatever the hell it is, he should get himself a cape for his Grand Entrance. Because it _will_ be a Grand Entrance. He'll enter as The Hero they all need and he'll get to crow over England and accuse him (rightly so) of begging and kick France for failing to not get invaded yet again—

"_But_," Robin cuts into his thoughts, apparently aware that he wasn't listening, "as I was saying..." He smiles and he suddenly looks his age. "Boy if it isn't nice to see someone putting himself on the line. And you _did_ sock that one sap pretty hard."

"Ah." America grins. "Yeah, that was pretty Jake, right?"

_I was pulling back because I didn't want to completely break his jaw, but, you know, all in a day's work for a hero._

"It's not like you had the bulge back there, though," Robin says, apparently loathe to let him start feeling _too_ good about the whole song and dance.

"Yeah, yeah, they were packing." America tries not to roll his eyes. "I know. So what's the wire with the cops around here, anyway? Seems like they don't do their jobs so good."

Robin just shrugs.

"I guess not.

_Convenient, though_. America doesn't say it aloud but he can't help but point it out internally_. But I guess you wouldn't be put in a fictional city with a great police force._

"I like that you guys exist, though," he says nonetheless – and he means it. He props his chin on his hand and beams at Robin. "Really. It's neat."

Robin arches an eyebrow, apparently not sure whether this is a compliment or not.

"Heroes like you," America presses. "To fight for life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I... I think it's swell. I'm proud."

"To be American?"

"Something like that." It's another evasive answer, but how could he expect a hand-drawn hero to understand? Instead – "I'm Alfred, by the way. Alfred F. Jones." – he puts out his hand.

"Robin," Robin replies, shaking with him. He doesn't add 'The Boy Wonder' on his own. "It's nice to meet you, Alfred."

America wonders if he believes him as he takes back his hand – that is, if he really believes his name is 'Alfred'. He admits that he wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't, not because he can see through him, but because—

"I know an Alfred." Robin grins.

America winces a little. He knew that. The butler. From England—

(Who yelled at America over the phone barely an hour or two ago. Something about being in the hospital wing on the front lines with his whole left arm in plaster and France being a terrible nurse.)

"Is he as awesome as me?" America asks, just to kind of be obnoxious.

"Yeah." Robin's voice is warm. "Yeah, he is. Kind of a hero in his own way."

"That's good." America nods, drains his cold coffee and tosses the empty paper cup into the trash can a foot from the bench with a high, arching shot. He stands, straightening his tie. "Well, I better fade. I'm sure you have work to do anyway, right? The night is young, after all."

"Yeah." Robin eyes him as he steps past him. "Hey, listen... next time you're thinking about being a hero, don't do it down some skeezy alley with six goons all burning powder at your back. Even that doll's purse wasn't worth losing your life over."

"I'll keep that in mind." Somehow he feels like Robin is lecturing him, but he can't bring himself to be annoyed.

The kid _did_ save him, after all – perhaps not his _life_, not in this ink-and-paper world, but _something_.

"Hey," he says suddenly, turning back towards Robin, finding him halfway through taking a long coil of grappling hook from his belt. "You don't have to answer this, but... do you wish it was different?"

Robin blinks at him, silent for a long moment; then he casts his eyes aside. He still doesn't say anything and America wonders if he even has the capacity to answer. If you want to delve into this kid's story, he's an orphan just like Bruce Wayne, his parents murdered by a greedy gangster called Boss Zucco. Of course, it's just a back-story, a reason cooked up by the writers. In the comics, Robin seems to have little regret regarding the sudden vast change in his lifestyle – not because he's heartless, an insensitive child who'd rather the glory of heroics over the love and warmth of his parents, but because...

Because it's just a back-story and he's just a character in a comic book.

"Well, sure." Robin answers him and he sounds very certain of himself. "Golly, what I wouldn't give... But, you know... this life isn't so bad either. I like helping people and I guess the world is kind of simple. Good versus Bad – Them versus Us. Batman and I are heroes so we fight the criminals and keep everyone safe."

America blinks at him, pushing up his glasses.

"You... you really think it's that simple?"

"Sure." Robin smiles. "People need help so you help them. That's what being a hero is all about."

(America digs out his April 1940 copy of _Detective Comics_ – No. 38 – when he goes home, idly rereading the title of 'The Sensational Character Find of 1940' as he passes the phone and puts it back on the hook.)

* * *

**[1942]**

Out of the corner of his eye, America sees England pick up the top comic of the precarious stack off to his right and look at it critically, furrowing his brow as he flips through it.

America sighs inwardly and readies himself inwardly for the scathing comment he knows is coming as his gaze wanders back to the copy of _Action Comics_ open on his lap.

"Only _you_ could have come up with something so ludicrous," England sighs at length – but he hasn't put the copy of _Batman_ (a new monthly title – the stories were doing so well in _Detective Comics_ that the Caped Crusader and his Boy Wonder were given a comic book all of their own) down, reading it not-very-sneakily.

"Yeah," America agrees absently, turning the page as Superman socks an ice thief smack in the kisser. "Damned proud of it, too."

* * *

**[2003]**

Was the world simpler back then?

It feels like it was. Not that the Second World War wasn't without its complications, its tied-up political reasonings for this and that, its messy, knotted aftermath—

But it _seemed_ simpler. Black and white. Good versus Bad. Them versus Us.

There were less comics back then, too. Now the shelves of comic book stores creak and groan beneath the weight of monthly titles printed on glossy paper, stacks upon stacks of densely-plotted, interweaved tales of heroes and heroines and villains which become at once more farfetched and more realistic, love and lust and guilt and death and finance and politics. Characters die and revive and swap identities so often that it's difficult to keep up.

Every now and then someone does a revival; shoves everything off the table but a blank piece of paper and a pencil and the original idea. A refreshing reimagination without the choking weight of canon – of history.

_This_ is yet another reimagining. It's also not a comic book – it's a cartoon. A new one. A new version and a new backdrop, for this is not Gotham City. Actually, it kind of looks a little bit Japanese—

And _there_ is the original idea. In the sixty-three years since his first appearance in 1940, he has become a cultural icon of America (or Americanism, at least). He lasted the year. He has lasted six decades, long enough to undergo yet another evolution. America has followed him with perhaps not the greatest of dedication (after all, he's not Superman), but he has always been ever aware of the changes, the incarnations, even the fact that it hasn't always been the same boy (or girl).

But this is the original. He's been updated, of course – the shorts have been replaced with spandex and the cape is yellow only on the inside and his hair is spiky and those certainly aren't pixie boots, ah, and he's _older_, most definitely, but he's still instantly recognisable – 1940's Sensational Character Find still going strong.

Probably still a bit of a gimmick, but what can you do?

"Haven't seen you for a while." Robin has no pretence about it, but he's grinning as he approaches him, idly swinging that collapsible bojutsu staff of his.

_No? That's somewhat disconcerting._

"Mm," America hums in agreement. "Since 1940." He sticks out his tongue, suddenly feeling very childish. "I think you may have talked me into something back then."

"Huh." Robin seems amused. "Nothing you regretted afterwards, I hope."

(He is perhaps patronising him a little. Of course Robin knows about the war. He was _there – _selling war bonds, in fact.)

"Nah. A hero's gotta do what a hero's gotta do, right?"

"You still haven't given up on that?"

"Hey, hey! I'm not the one wearing a cape!"

Robin gives a sigh.

"Like I have a choice," he says, his voice suddenly a degree or two colder. "I haven't really changed much since back then."

"No, you haven't."

"The world has, though," Robin goes on absently, looking up at the night – clearer and brighter here than in Gotham City with its smudge-ink, grain-paper skies. "And so have you."

Ah. So Robin saw through him all along. He kind of knew it, really. Still, that whole business two years ago – that would be enough to change anyone. And an industry as American as the comic book world couldn't have escaped the reverberations of 2001. Robin – no, in fact, both Robin _and_ America himself – might hail from simpler times but the world itself isn't that simple anymore.

It's no longer a case of Them versus Us.

"So are you still socking saps down skeezy alleys?" America asks nonchalantly.

"Of course." Robin frowns. "It's not as easy as all that anymore, though. There's this one guy—I don't know what his deal is, but he's driving me mad. He's on a totally different level to anyone I've ever dealt with before and, you know, he always wears this mask..."

"You wear a mask," America points out. "You _all_ do."

"But we're heroes," Robin argues. "It's okay when we do it."

America thinks this is hypocritical but he doesn't finger it because he feels that, somehow, it would be hypocritical of _him_ to say so, mostly because it sounds so familiar. So he just nods and says nothing as Robin flips his staff over in his hand, retracts it and deftly puts it away in his utility belt.

"It's kind of hard to fight when you don't know your enemy, right?" the Boy Wonder says bitterly.

_That_ is most definitely a question aimed at him. America nods his agreement again, somewhat ashamed at not having a verbal answer but nonetheless knowing it to be true.

"Still, I guess I don't have much of a choice there either," Robin goes on.

He really seems like he's talking to himself; and although America was quick to agree that Robin hasn't changed much since 1940, he _has_ still changed a little. Each of his reimaginings are a product of their time – America remembers the sensation of the 60s TV series, the waves of Bat-Mania that spawned toys and costumes and even a haircut, and beneath all the camp the definite aura of Cold War ideology present in every episode. He looks at Robin now – this fresher, sharper Robin – and wonders if he remembers that too.

"After all, I vowed to protect this city," Robin finishes with conviction, and he socks his fist into his palm.

America smiles. Now _that_ was 60s TV series material.

"Just what I'd expect you to say." America nods, mostly because he's still proud, and also kind of because talking to Robin – perpetually under the age of twenty, it seems – makes _him_ feel strangely more mature.

(He's also a little relieved. All these years and all these wars later, he's not going to be judged. Robin is, after all, a facet of his ideologies – an extension of his sensibilities, one of many. His comic-book-ink-blood is what America rinses off his hands after working all day.)

"Of course." Robin smiles that smile that makes him look his age – like a child, like a teenager. "I'm the hero."

America blinks. This is only the second time he has met Robin, but he's read the comics and watched the TV shows and listened to the radio programmes. This is the first time he has ever heard him voice it so outright.

Robin smirks at him and turns on his heel without so much as an "I better fade", his cape fanning out behind him.

Well, America can't let him get away with _that_.

"Say," he drawls, grinning, "how's Alfred?"

Robin pauses and looks back over his shoulder at him.

"Kind of a hero in his own way," he replies. "Aren't you, America?"

* * *

YES THERE WAS TOTALLY A REFERENCE TO SLADE IN THERE. (Slade the villain, not Slade the band – though Slade the villain yelling "IT'S CHRIIIIIISTMAAAAAAAAAAAS!!111!!!111!" _would_ be epic.)

Lesser-known 1940s slang translations:

**Jake** (America's line "That was pretty Jake, right?")**:** Cool/good/sometimes 'okay' (As in "Everything's Jake")

**Bulge:** Advantage

**Song and dance:** Thing/situation

**Packing: **Carrying a gun

**What's the wire?: **What's the score/news?

**Fade:** Leave

**Burning powder:** Holding/firing a gun

**Doll:** Woman

**Superman socks an ice thief smack in the kisser:** Superman punches a diamond thief right in the mouth

Well, it's just for a little clarity. I didn't use any that were really too difficult to figure out, and I'm sure you've heard some of them before. Honestly, I've written other _Hetalia_ fics set in the 40s (obviously) and I usually don't bother with the American colloquialisms, mostly because America is the only "American" in the fic and would probably just get looked at funny (particularly by England) if he cracked out something like "Hey, it won't be at all Jake to sock Germany right there, we ain't got the bulge or nothin', pal – he'll be burning powder and we'll be fading for the Big Sleep before you can ask what the wire is". However... with this fic I figured that he might slip into the typical contemporary American way of talking if conversing with another American who can understand him. XD

The reason England was actually secretly reading America's _Batman_ comic while pretending to criticise it is because although American comics were not published in Britain during the 1940s (it really took until the late 50s for UK publishers to get on board with the trend and start reprinting US comic books for British audiences), comics like _Batman_ and _Superman_ still got into circulation when they were brought over by American soldiers stationed in the UK (and traded to schoolchildren for cigarettes) and proved popular.

**Robin selling war bonds:** Absolutely true. Many war-time issues of _Batman_ and _Superman_ comics featured the heroes doing their bit to encourage readers to buy war bonds and stamps to help the Allied cause.

**Robin being a gimmick: **Again, true – more specifically, a money-making gimmick. He was originally put into the _Batman_ stories as a pitch to boost sales (it worked). By the time _Teen Titans_ rolled around in 2003, he was still being used as a cash-cow – whilst it is canon for Robin to be the leader of the Teen Titans, all of the marketing campaigns surrounding the show featured Robin slap-bang in the centre, bigger than the other characters and basically saying "HEY, RECOGNISE THIS GUY?". And, again, it worked. I can vouch for that. The first time I tuned into _Teen Titans_, Robin was the only character I recognised, and I think a lot of people would probably say the same. The sense of familiarity associated with such a famous character almost tricks you into investing your time in watching the show. I mean, really, it's damn-near faultless advertising. No wonder Batman carted Robin around with him – who needs press when you've got a walking billboard for a sidekick?

**Robin socking his fist into his palm:** A gesture synonymous with the Burt Ward version of the character present in the _Batman_ TV series from the 1960s, the animated _Teen Titans_ Robin did this once or twice in the first season of the show. It was subsequently dropped from later seasons, which is kind of a shame. =(

**Robin hasn't always been the same boy (or girl):** The version used in this fic is the original Robin, Dick Grayson. Animated _Batman_ and or _Batman_-affiliated series will either use Dick or the third Robin, Tim Drake. The comic book world of _Batman_, however, has had several more Robins than that, including Jason Todd (the second Robin, beaten to death by the Joker in _A Death in the Family_), Carrie Kelly (who appears in Frank Miller's _Batman:_ _The Dark Knight Returns_) and Stephanie Brown.

**Modern comic books**... _are_ confusing as hell. I gave up on the Modern DCU. There were Crises here, there and everywhere and everyone was in someone else's monthly comic book and people were dying and then coming back to life and having sex in barns (no, really) and there were alternate futures and clones and people going mad and it was all getting a bit like CLAMP was writing it so I backed slowly away once I gave up on _Nightwing_.

(I jest. CLAMP are awesome. They just like clones too much.)

**Teen Titans as a post-9/11 text:** Sounds farfetched, I know, and honestly, back when _Teen Titans_ was my active fandom, this wasn't a reading of it that came into my head. You may accuse university of thus poisoning my brain, but I was into _Teen Titans_ when I was in high school. I haven't written it since being in university – and university is where I started doing American Studies. And since doing American Studies, I am now inclined to believe that there are definite – although not necessarily conscious or even subliminal – post-9/11 sensibilities present within the show. I don't mean to say that they address the issues of it or that they reference it or anything. What I mean is that – as the 60s _Batman_ TV series most definitely had some air of a Cold War mentality about it – _Teen Titans_, released in 2003, a mere two years after the attacks, is a product of a post-9/11 America. _Justice League_ also falls into this category.

I mean, if you want to start getting really ridiculous, you could bang on about Slade being something of a metaphor for anti-Americanism whilst the diverse group of the Titans represents a highly-idealised vision of the modern US... but I digress. XD

Just as an aside... the comics are more explicit about it. I have seen several comics from the modern DCU (and likely Marvel too) referring to 9/11 and there were several tributes to the victims, survivors and heroes of the tragedy present within October 2001 issues of monthly comics.

**Bob Kane: **Creator of _Batman_. Cheers, Bob.

Happy 70th birthday, Robin! HOLY BIRTHDAY CAKE, BATMAN and all that. I hope I still look that good in tights when I'm your age! XD

RobinRocks

(Has done for 70 years – here's to the next 70!)


End file.
